Chief Football Writer for The Age

Andrew Demetriou has accepted his first board position since departing the AFL becoming a shareholder of the Bastion Group, a sports marketing company which helps broker sponsorship deals for large organisations including AFL clubs.

Gillon McLachlan's brother Hamish owns 25 percent of Bastion which was founded by former Adelaide and St Kilda footballer Fergus Watts.

Watts' father Jim, the former St Kilda director, chief executive and AFL consultant, is another major shareholder.

The Bastion Group's clients in recent years have included the AFL Players' Association, AFL club sponsors Jeep and Divine Homes, Nissan and the Jeep Portsea Polo event. Demetriou's new role, according to a media statement on Wednesday, will be to lead strategy, acquisitions and growth.

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Demetriou has also been strongly linked to board positions with the Seven Network - former AFL commissioner Graeme John and Essendon chairman David Evans are both Seven directors - and Crown. While a potential directorship was not mentioned at last week's meeting of the Seven board it is believed those two positions would not be mutually exclusive.

Demetriou departs on a family holiday to the U.S. next week and will assume the Bastion role on July 1. In a media statement he said of his new role that he had been tracking the progress and expansion of the Bastion Group over the past few years and saw massive potential for future growth and diversification.

“Right now they are young, growing and full of energy," Demetriou, 53, said. " When you walk in to any of the offices there is a great feel about the place and the work is of the highest quality.

" I am confident and excited by the opportunity to make a positive contribution and help guide the Bastion Group to further success.”

The Bastion Group is based in Melbourne and has offices in Sydney and Auckland.